About - National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse

Who We Are

The National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse (NHCVA) is the only independent, nonpartisan medical and public health coalition dedicated to shaping federal policy on the health impact of violence and abuse.

Over three decades of collaboration, our members have educated policymakers to prevent violence in all forms, including child abuse, intimate partner violence, and elder abuse. Our members represent nearly one million health professionals with deep expertise and experience.

Our Approach

We know that public health approaches to preventing and addressing violence and abuse work. Our coalition brings health expertise to partner with policymakers to create bipartisan progress.

We provide policymakers with the latest evidence, insights about what’s working from around the country, and educational resources about the policies that prevent violence and abuse.

We focus on violence and abuse at every age and life stage, including:

Child abuse and neglect

Intimate partner violence

Sexual violence

Community violence

Elder abuse

Potential Policy Impact

The data show clearly that violence and abuse have significant health impact and costs to society. Some examples include:

In Fiscal Year 2023, a reported 545,159 children experienced abuse and neglect, and an estimated 2,000 died from maltreatment.

The total lifetime social cost per IPV victim is $103,767 for women and $23,414 for men, when counting costs including medical care, lost productivity, and criminal justice.

Over 400,000 older adults experienced assaults in 2022, and the average medical cost of their emergency department treatment was over $18,000.

The most recent FBI data show nearly 60,000 aggravated assaults and over 1,300 homicides in 2023.